Lu Bu

Biography & Historical Record

Lu Bu (died 199 AD), courtesy name Fengxian, was a legendary military general, warlord, and peerless martial artist who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and the onset of the Three Kingdoms period. Hailing from Jiuyuan in Wuyuan Commandery, Lu Bu was renowned across the realm as the greatest warrior alive, celebrated for his peerless prowess in archery and mounted combat, often encapsulated by the popular folk saying: “Among men, Lu Bu; among horses, Red Hare” (*Renzhong Lu Bu, machong Chitu*). Physically imposing and devastatingly skilled, Lu Bu’s career was marked by shifting allegiances, opportunistic betrayals, and ferocious independence, earning him a reputation among contemporaries as a fickle warlord driven by personal gain rather than moral duty.

Initially serving under the regional inspector Ding Yuan, Lu Bu was persuaded by the rebel warlord Dong Zhuo to betray and murder his foster father, bringing his supreme combat strength to Dong Zhuo’s regime. Serving as Dong Zhuo’s personal bodyguard and adopted son, Lu Bu terrorized the imperial court and held immense military clout, but severe friction arose between the two due to a dispute over a maidservant (later romanticized as Diaochan) and Dong Zhuo’s volatile temper. Instigated by the minister Wang Yun, Lu Bu assassinated Dong Zhuo in 192 AD and briefly participated in the central government before being driven out by Dong Zhuo’s loyalist generals Li Jue and Guo Si.

For the remainder of his life, Lu Bu wandered the Central Plains as an independent warlord, seizing Xu Province from Liu Bei while Liu Bei was engaged with Yuan Shu, and engaging in a fierce, protracted campaign against Cao Cao centered around Puyang and Xiapi. Despite his unmatched martial might, Lu Bu frequently lacked strategic foresight, alienating his advisors such as Chen Gong and ultimately facing capture at the Battle of Xiapi in 199 AD after his subordinates Hou Cheng, Song Xian, and Wei Xu mutinied and bound him in his sleep. Pleading for his life and offering to serve Cao Cao as a general to conquer the realm, Lu Bu’s fate was sealed when Liu Bei reminded Cao Cao of Lu Bu’s treacherous history with Ding Yuan and Dong Zhuo. On Cao Cao’s orders, Lu Bu was strangled to death, bringing an end to the most feared warrior of the era.

Role in Romance of the Three Kingdoms

In Luo Guanzhong’s historical epic Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Lu Bu is immortalized as the ultimate symbol of physical strength devoid of virtue. His narrative spans from Chapter 3 through Chapter 19. Major novelistic highlights include his dramatic duel against the sworn triad of Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei at Hulao Pass, his involvement in the Scheme of the Chain (*Lianhuan Ji*) orchestrated by Wang Yun involving Diaochan, his narrow escapes during the campaigns against Cao Cao at Puyang, his seizure of Jing/Xu Province from Liu Bei, and his tragic downfall and execution at Xiapi.

Notable Quotes & Famous Sayings

• “With Lu Bu here, who dares to defy me?!” — Lu Bu’s arrogant declaration of invincibility on the battlefield.
• “Prime Minister Dong, where is your righteousness?” — Lu Bu’s rhetorical defiance before slaying Dong Zhuo.
• “My lordCao, you need not worry. With me commanding your vanguard, no force under heaven can withstand us!” — Lu Bu offering his service to Cao Cao at Xiapi before his execution.

Lu Bu (吕布) — Historical & Literary Timeline

Key Relationships

Family

• Lady Yan (严氏, Nghiêm thị) — Lu Bu’s primary wife who remained with him throughout his campaigns, including the final siege at Xiapi.
• Lu Lingqi (吕玲绮, Lữ Linh Kỳ) — Lu Bu’s daughter, whom he attempted to marry into the Yuan Shu clan to secure a strategic alliance.

Friends

• Zhang Liao (张辽, Trương Liêu) — A capable general and loyal lieutenant who served under Lu Bu before eventually joining Cao Cao’s forces.
• Chen Gong (陈宫, Trần Cung) — A brilliant strategist who defected from Cao Cao to serve as Lu Bu’s primary advisor, attempting to guide his military campaigns until their shared execution in 199 AD.

Enemies

• Cao Cao (曹操, Tào Tháo) — A primary rival warlord who engaged Lu Bu in a protracted conflict at Puyang and eventually orchestrated his capture and execution at Xiapi in 199 AD.
• Liu Bei (刘备, Lưu Bị) — A warlord whose territory in Xu Province was seized by Lu Bu; he later advised Cao Cao against sparing Lu Bu’s life.
• Guan Yu (关羽, Quan Vũ) — A legendary warrior who fought against Lu Bu during the coalition campaign at Hulao Pass in 190 AD.
• Zhang Fei (张飞, Trương Phi) — A fierce warrior who famously challenged Lu Bu to a duel at Hulao Pass and frequently engaged him in battle.
• Dong Zhuo (董卓, Đổng Trác) — A tyrannical warlord and foster father to Lu Bu; Lu Bu assassinated him in 192 AD following a dispute over Diaochan.
• Ding Yuan (丁原, Đinh Nguyên) — Lu Bu’s initial superior and foster father, whom Lu Bu betrayed and murdered in 189 AD to defect to Dong Zhuo.

Other

• Diaochan (貂蝉, Điêu Thuyền) — A woman involved in Wang Yun’s Scheme of the Chain; her presence created the fatal rift between Lu Bu and Dong Zhuo.
• Wang Yun (王允, Vương Doãn) — A government minister who orchestrated the plot to turn Lu Bu against Dong Zhuo in 192 AD.

Items

• Red Hare
• Crescent Halberd

Gallery

Famous Allusion

Three Heroes Battle Lu Bu at Hulao Pass - Tam Anh Chiến Lữ Bố